THE NECKLACE
The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five.
Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle
of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then
looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned
face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want
them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can
save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a
week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out
17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and
she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames, if she could pick
dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her
another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the
necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up.
She wore them everywhere. Synagogue, school, even to bed. The only
time she took them off was wen she went swimming, or had a bubble
bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for
bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read
her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do
you love me?"
"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
Oh daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Princess, the white horse
from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy?
The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed
her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked
again. "Do you love me?"
"Daddy, you know I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand
new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the
yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. G-d bless you, little one. Daddy loves
you."
And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her
bed with her legs crossed Indian style.
As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent
tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her
daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace.
With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here daddy; this is for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with
one hand to take the dime store necklace and with the other hand he
reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a
strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.
He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the
dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it
is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the
cheap things in our lives, so that he can give us beautiful treasures.